Lessons began today for 6th and 7th grade students. Many students were missing from their lessons, and many lesson cards were left in the music room after homeroom and Mod 1. Please remember to pick up your lesson cards before homeroom on the day of your lesson! Unlike elementary school, we will not go to your class to find you. It will just be marked as an absence from lessons.
In the 7th grade violin lessons, we worked on our major scales (in 1 and 2 octaves). During the next lesson, students will be asked to play G, D, or C major scales alone. Seventh grade violinists will be finishing work in their Essential Elements 2000 Book 2 this year, and the Essential Elements book must be brought to class each week. I will also be handing out copies of duets and solo works.
We are sight-reading in orchestra for the first few class meetings. Thank you to the 8th graders who came to class with their instruments, found their seats, turned in their homework, and were ready to play!
The 8th grade orchestra read excerpts from Summer Dance and Dramatic Essay. Their homework (due next class) is to complete the C, G, and D scales on the Major Scale sheet. This, and all homework, will be collected and will count toward your grade in orchestra.
The 6th grade (BD) did a good job finding their seats and following directions. Here are some things about orchestra that might be new to our 6th graders:
1. We share folders! The folders on the stand contain original parts and will be used in performance. As young adult orchestra members, we will learn stand etiquette.more on that later.
2. If you don't have it in class, you don't have it. An instrument in a locker or a folder in a homeroom doesn't count for being prepared in orchestra. Make sure you bring all assignments, practice parts, and instruments to class!
3. We write in pencil 99.99999% of the time. Bring 2 pencils to class, but leave the pens in your locker or binder.
4. Sometimes we read/play music that we won't perform in a concert. Sight reading in orchestra is like reading the synopsis of a book on the back cover: it gives you a little idea about the piece, indicates the difficulty level, and sometimes sparks interest in learning more.
We all come from different schools, towns, families, and musical backgrounds. Pieces may be familiar to some and brand new to others, and I'll do my best to keep it interesting.
5. I'll give you practice parts for pieces that we will perform in a concert. I want you to practice, and I want to make practicing as easy and enjoyable as possible.
6. Orchestra is a great way to meet new people in a school. You won't always sit next to your old friends, but you will certainly sit next to potential new ones. I'll be changing your seat frequently right up until the day of the concert so that you can experience new locations, new musicians, and new challenges.
Today in 6th grade, we sight-read Clog Dance and Pictures at an Exhibition. We will read a few more pieces over the next two weeks and then decide as a group on a concert program. As you sight-read, consider the following:
Was this too easy? Did I get all the notes, bowings, dynamics, and rhythms right the first time?
Was this hard for me to read? Would I sound better if I practiced it?
Do I like it? What do I like about it?
Do I want to play this for the concert? If not, why?
Will this be a fun piece to play if I put the right amount of work into it?
Finally, I'm glad to see all the musicians bringing their instruments home every night. You are always welcome to drop off your instrument in the orchestra room in the morning, but please use the shelves! All upper strings will fit on a shelf, even if everyone brings their instrument from home every day. I don't want to assign shelves to specific students, but we need to be able to get in and out of the storage room.
